Mukesh Ambani emerges richest Indian for 11th consecutive year in Forbes list

Agencies
October 4, 2018

New Delhi, Oct 4: Reliance Industries' Chairman Mukesh Ambani has emerged as the richest Indian for the 11th consecutive year with a net worth of USD 47.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

Ambani is also the year's biggest gainer, adding USD 9.3 billion to his wealth amid the continuing success of his Reliance Jio broadband telco service.

As per the 'Forbes India Rich List 2018', Wipro Chairman Azim Premji has retained the second spot, adding USD 2 billion to his wealth at USD 21 billion; while ArcelorMittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal moved a place ahead to the third slot with a net worth of USD 18.3 billion, increasing his wealth by USD 1.8 billion.

Mittal is followed by the Hinduja brothers at with a net worth of USD 18 billion and Pallonji Mistry with USD 15.7 billion.

Other business magnates making the top 10 list are Shiv Nadar (USD 14.6 billion), Godrej family (USD 14 billion), Dilip Shanghvi (USD 12.6 billion), Kumar Birla (USD 12.5 billion) and Gautam Adani (USD 11.9 billion).

"In a challenging year, which saw the rupee taking a tumble, the country's 100 richest collectively managed to hold their own. Moreover, new billionaires continue to be minted, which indicates that India's entrepreneurial energy is upbeat as ever," said Naazneen Karmali, India Editor of Forbes Asia.

Biotechnology pioneer Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has emerged as the biggest percentage gainer of the year. One of only four women on the list, her net worth rose 66.7 per cent to USD 3.6 billion. In terms of net worth, she stood at 39th spot.

"Despite a rout in the rupee that practically wiped out the Indian stock market's 14 per cent rise from a year ago, tycoons on the 2018 Forbes India Rich List saw a modest gain in their combined wealth to USD 492 billion," a Forbes India statement said, adding that among the nation's 100 richest, 11 saw their wealth jump by USD 1 billion or more.

"The growth in the overall wealth of India's richest in a challenging year is one indicator of the country's economic advancement. New faces on the list - five of them - are also an encouraging sign of the rise of domestic mega-firms, many with a presence in global markets," Forbes India Editor Brian Carvalho said.

According to the statement, this list was compiled using shareholding and financial information obtained from the families and individuals, stock exchanges, analysts and India's regulatory agencies.

"Public fortunes were calculated based on stock prices and exchange rates as of September 21. Private companies were valued based on similar companies that are publicly traded," it said.

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ALTHAF MAHAMMED
 - 
Thursday, 4 Oct 2018

Thanks to MODI

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News Network
June 19,2020

Jun 19: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani on Friday announced that his oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries is now net debt-free after raising a record Rs 1.69 lakh crore from global investors and a rights issue in under two months.

Reliance raised Rs 1.15 lakh crore from global tech investors by selling a little less than a quarter of the firm's digital arm, Jio Platforms Ltd, and another Rs 53,124.20 crore through a rights issue in the past 58 days.

Taken together with last year's sale of 49 per cent stake in fuel retailing venture to BP Plc of UK for Rs 7,000 crore, the total fund raised is in excess of Rs 1.75 lakh crore, the company said in a statement.

Reliance had a net debt of Rs 1,61,035 crore as on March 31, 2020. "With these investments, RIL has become net debt-free," it said.

"I have fulfilled my promise to the shareholders by making Reliance net debt-free much before our original schedule of March 31, 2021," Ambani said.

Jio Platforms - which houses the country's youngest but largest telecom firm Reliance Jio, raised Rs 1,15,693.95 crore from leading global investors including Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, TPG, L Catterton and PIF since April 22, 2020.

Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund PIF buying 2.32 per cent stake in the unit for Rs 11,367 crore on June 18 "marks the end of Jio Platforms' current phase of induction of financial partners," the statement said.

Alongside, Reliance launched India's biggest right issue, which was subscribed to 1.59 times.

Though the rights issue size was Rs 53,124 crore, the company has got only 25 per cent of the money as the remaining is to be paid only next fiscal.

Ambani had at the company's annual general meeting on August 12, 2019, announced a roadmap for Reliance to become a net debt-free company before March 31, 2021.

"We have a very clear roadmap to becoming a zero net-debt company within the next 18 months that is by March 31, 202," he had said last year highlighting strong interest from strategic and financial investors in consumer businesses, Jio and Reliance Retail.

In the statement on Friday, he said he was both delighted and humbled to announce the fulfillment of the promise.

"Exceeding the expectations of our shareholders and all other stakeholders, again and yet again, is in the very DNA of Reliance," he said.

"Therefore, on the proud occasion of becoming a net debt-free company, I wish to assure them that Reliance in its Golden Decade will set even more ambitious growth goals, and achieve them," he added.

He said over the past few weeks, phenomenal interest was received from the global financial investor community in partnering with Jio.

"As our fundraising milestone from financial investors is achieved, we sincerely thank the marquee group of financial partners and warmly welcome them into Jio Platforms," he said.

"I also express my heartfelt gratitude to all the retail and institutional investors, both domestic and foreign, for their overwhelming participation in our record-setting Rights Issue," he added.

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News Network
July 17,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 17: A gunman posted at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram allegedly attempted suicide on Friday, the police said.

"A gunman who was working at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Consulate in Thiruvananthapuram allegedly attempted to commit suicide today. He is currently admitted to a hospital. 

The police were searching for him after his relatives had filed a missing complaint on Thursday night. A case has been registered and a probe is underway," said Police.

The person is identified as Jayagosh. He is attached to the police Armed Reserve (AR) camp and was reported missing since last night. Later, his relatives had filed a missing complaint with the police.

Jayagosh was later found lying in a pool of blood near his house in Akkulam and was taken to the hospital.

A police investigation is underway and more details are awaited.

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News Network
June 16,2020

New Delhi, June 16: Tensions along the Line of Control border between India and China have spiked with an Indian army officer and two soldiers killed in the Galwan area of Ladakh, the Indian army said in a statement on Tuesday.

This is the first time in decades that a clash involving casualties has taken place on the 3,488 kilometre border between India and China.

"During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers. Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation," said an official statement.

The two sides had made headway in talks last week with army chief General MM Naravane saying disengagement was in progress. The development had come after weeks of tension, including an incident in which patrolling soldiers from the two sides came to blows on the banks of Pangong Lake, resulting in injuries.

The two armies have since thinned out some forces in a positive signal but soldiers, tanks and other armoured carriers remained heavily deployed in the high-altitude region, an official had said.

India and China fought a brief border war in 1962 and have not been able to settle their border despite two decades of talks. Both claim thousands of kilometres of territory and patrols along the undemarcated Line of Actual Control - the de-facto border - often run into each other, leading to tensions. 

Comments

Angry Indian
 - 
Tuesday, 16 Jun 2020

where is our angry desh bakth RSS and sanghi...hiding in rat hole or @%#hole...now you can show your 56 inch chest to chinese...when pakistan destroyed our two fighter jet that time i relised we are making an monkey army not indian army...still time exist, still we have courage army...but we lack leader...we have maron PM...and some dog follower..they only know to bark in media and whatsapp...in reality they are just real na pustak...

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